When Whitney Way Thore started university at 18, she knew she might gain a little weight, like most students do in their first year. But at just 8st 5lbs, she wasn’t too worried.

However, she wasn’t expecting to gain a staggering 7st 2lb in just eight months. "I’d heard about the “Freshers 15lb” [1st 1b], but by December I’d already gained a “Freshman 50lb” (3st 8lb)," she explains. "Everyone put on a little bit, but my weight was out of control."

The aspiring actress and dancer from North Carolina was devastated by the weight gain, but she suffered in silence.

"I didn’t go to a doctor because I was so ashamed and embarrassed," says Whitney, tearfully. "It’s such a taboo subject, and nobody wanted to talk about it – not even my family or close friends."

Losing her identity

Pretty Whitney found that guys she’d been on dates with in the first term stopped acknowledging her. And for the first time, Whitney noticed how poorly overweight people were treated by society.

"It was like some kind of twisted social experiment," she says with a sigh. "One minute I was prom queen, and then suddenly people assumed I was lazy, stupid and ugly. I really lost my identity."

Whitney before her weight gain (Image: TLC)

Three years later, Whitney had reached 27 stone. She was baffled by what was causing it, but tried to carry on with her life. She went travelling to Korea after uni, where she was astonished by some people’s reactions to her.

"They pointed and laughed at me every day. I even got spat on, assaulted and called a pig."

When Whitney returned home, she decided to lose weight.

"I lost 7st by basically having an eating disorder and exercising excessively. At the time I thought I was healthy and happy, but I was far from it."

Even with the weight loss, Whitney still came up against prejudice. "I remember a time when I’d just run five miles and some guys drove past and called me a “fat ass”," she says. "I began to realise I couldn’t rely on other people’s approval to validate me, because I would never have that approval, no matter what I weighed."

Whitney exercises alongside her dancing (Image: TLC)

But then things began to look up. Whitney got a job presenting a radio show at her local station, and started dating a new guy. However, within a year, she had put all the weight back on.

Around this time – three years since she had suddenly begun to pile on the pounds – Whitney was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition which can cause hair loss, infertility, weight gain and excessive body and facial hair.

Whitney was relieved to have a medical reason for her weight gain, but, at the same time, she was terrified for her future. At her lowest point, she considered suicide.

"I thought, 'I can try and lose weight again or I can try and be happy in the body that I have now,'" she says with a smile. "I decided to take every opportunity that came my way, rather than making the excuse that I was too fat to do anything."

Whitney rediscovered dancing, which had always been a huge passion of hers.

"I found so much joy in dancing again," she says, her face lighting up. "No wonder I was so depressed: I gave up the thing I love most in the world!"

Tentatively, Whitney uploaded a video of herself dancing on YouTube, and was astonished by the response. The video went viral, and was seen by eight million people around the globe.

Whitney decided to set up her own dance class, called Big Girl Dancing.

Whitney's Big Girl Dance Class learns how to hula dance (Image: TLC)

"You don’t need to be big in body, just big in spirit," she says. "It’s a place for all women (and the occasional guy) to dance and not feel pressured the way you do in gyms."

The more she danced, the better she began to feel about herself.

"Dancing makes me feel good, mentally and physically," she says. "I used to put my make-up on in the dark, I would never look at myself naked and I would only have sex with the lights off. Now, I feel amazing about my body."

Suddenly, Whitney was receiving attention the world over. TV channel TLC approached her to star in her own show, My Big Fat Fabulous Life. Millions now tune in to hear Whitney’s body confident message:

"Happiness is not conditional; it doesn’t depend on the size of your body," she says. "I used to believe that no fat person could be happy, but happiness is here, now!"

Inspiring women

The women who attend Whitney’s dance classes are often transformed: they arrive with rock-bottom confidence, but after a few weeks, they’re posting bikini snaps online and shaking their booties like there’s no tomorrow. And her show has won her a legion of fans.

"I get letters from 95-year-old women who say, 'I’ve hated myself my whole life, but watching your show makes me think maybe it’s not too late to start loving myself,'" Whitney says. "My goal is to stop young women now turning into those old women who hate their bodies."

But along with her fans, Whitney has also been the victim of abusive trolls online.

"People have told me I should kill myself, and that I’m hideous," she says.

Whitney’s also had her share of highs and lows with men.

"There are so many men who will love you in the dark of night, but will leave you in the light of day," she says. "I’ve had guys who say they can’t date me because their friends will tease them, and I’ve also had guys who are obsessed with my body in a creepy way: asking me to squash them and do all sorts of weird things."

But Whitney is now dating a handsome artist called Lenny, who she met on the dating app Tinder.

"He’s everything I ever wanted," she says. "But I couldn’t have met him before, because I wasn’t the happy person I am now."

Despite the tough times, Whitney wouldn’t change anything about her life.

"If I hadn’t got ill, my life would’ve been beige and average, and I’m so thankful for the way things have turned out," she says. "There’s a body confidence revolution happening right now and I’m part of it."